Week 24 in Xizhi, transfers are this week and this is my last transfer

Transfer 16. Wow. That last slice of pizza is getting smaller and smaller, but I'm determined to savor every last bite. I'll even eat the crust ;) I heard a good analogy from a missionary I knew in the MTC who finishes his mission in a couple of days. He said it's like driving a car off a of cliff. You don't start to slow down as you near the edge, rather you pedal to the medal and fly off into the next chapter of your life. I don't know how I feel about the analogy as I don't know what awaits on the other end of the cliff. Hopefully there's something to catch me there. I didn't say the analogy was perfect, but you get the point. I'm excited for this last transfer, and I'm fully committed to the end.

With Lyle's family

Amazing food

Special foods

A parade

I can't be sure at this point, but transfers will most likely bring with it a move call. I'll be sad to leave Xizhi after having been here 6 months. It's home. I've given this place my everything, and it's given everything to me. I couldn't be happier with my time here. I love the ward and our investigators as I do my own family. However, the ward sometimes makes the mistake of associating all the miracles we've seen with us as the missionaries. It is my conviction that in large part the success we've been blessed with is a direct result of the ward here being prepared to receive those prepared of Him. Xizhi is Zion. The members are firm in the faith and in their testimonies of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. They follow His teachings and example. They make sacrifices to lift one another and to search out the lost sheep. It's been a blessing to serve the people of Xizhi. I've found it ironic how the success we're having is helping me to develop greater humility. At other times in life or even on my mission I was prone to let the praise of others sink in. I thought I was really something at times. Humility has been a core curriculum in my mission up to date. I've been humbled again and again as those I've invited to come unto Christ have walked (sometimes even ran) the opposite way, but this time we've been blessed to see such great success I can't help but attribute it to God. I know this is His work. There's simply no other explanation. I feel as Ammon to rejoice in the strength of my God:

Alma 26:12
12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea,behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.

We're happy for Anna who was baptized this past weekend. The Gospel has given her new life, and I'm just grateful I was there to witness it. I've been impressed with the promptings we receive from hour to hour helping us to know where to go, what to do, and what to say. Without the Spirit, we can accomplish nothing in the service of the Lord. Pay whatever price necessary to be worthy of such a trust. I'm excited for the investigators of Xizhi. I love them, and I'll miss them.

Anna's Baptism

With Derek

Getting to see Terry's family and Kenneth

It was good to see family today by way of Skype. Hyrum and Emilie are getting so old. I'm proud of them and of all my family for their wonderful examples to me and to those in their sphere of influence. 

Skype with family on Mother's day

Sibling communication via modern technology

All is well,
Elder Dickson

Week 23 in Xizhi

It was a good week. We got some much needed cleaning done. Afterwards, Lyle took us out for lunch today before taking us up the mountain for a breathtaking view. I felt that however much time we spent up there wouldn't be long enough.

The Great Lunch

Lyle's still the man. His heart surgery wasn't as successful as we initially believed it to be, and so he's been in a great deal of pain and been in and out of the hospital. Please keep him in your prayers. Regardless, he's firm in his witness of the Book of Mormon and its ability to bring us strength, to bring us comfort, and to bring us closer to Christ. He told us today the scriptures bring him peace as he lays there hour after hour in a hectic hospital room. I've received that same enabling power in my life as I've made studying the Book of Mormon and other scriptures a central part of my life. I invite you to study the Book of Mormon. It doesn't matter whether you've read it a hundred times as some of our members here have or whether you've never even seen the book. Please make an effort to study from its pages each day. You will come closer to Christ by so doing. You will find strength to face and rise above present struggles and fears.

Anna's also something of a miracle. She chose this week to move her baptismal date from April 15th 2019 to May 12th 2018 and has since passed her baptismal interview. She attributes the whole thing as an answer to prayer. I'm happy for her. I've seen how the restored gospel of Jesus Christ has brought her joy, and it's brought me joy to be witness to it. 

Seeing a friend at a fireside

Have the best week! But really, the best week ever...


All is well,
Elder Dickson

Week 22 in Xizhi

Temple with Miaoli Friends

Feast

Taipei Temple

I got fitted for a new suit today. It came out to be around 90 American dollars. Not a bad deal.

Lyle's still killing the game. His heart surgery went smoothly. He shared the gospel with all his nurses at the hospital, and he read about 4/5 of the Book of Mormon this week and has started diving into other books of scripture. He reads about 5 hours of scripture a day, and he'll be speaking next to the temple this weekend about his conversion experience to an audience of several hundred people.

We sat down for a lesson with an investigator last Monday. His member friend wasn't there yet, so we took a second to see how he was doing. He seemed a bit out of sorts and not overly happy. His member friend arrived, but it didn't feel right to proceed with our lesson plan. Upon further inquiry, he really opened up to us. We listened. We listened. And we listened some more. After a prayer, we felt inspired to ask him to open his Book of Mormon. We didn't give him a specific book or chapter. We just asked him to open it to any page. He eyes kind of popped a bit at the prospect of finding an answer in like fashion, but he gave it a go. 

He opened to Moroni 7. We studied it together verse by verse and before long he had not only found some answers to his problem, but he knew exactly what he needed to do to change things for the better. His member friend was a huge help throughout the whole lesson. As I saw a irrepressible grin filling his face in the place of his previously burdened frown, I was grateful for the Spirit and the revelation we received to scrap our original lesson plan. I was then REALLY grateful for the ensuing revelation allowing us to know what to do at that point. 

I love my mission. I love our investigators. And I love the Lord.

All is well,
Elder Dickson

Week 21 in Xizhi

Lyle is now a happy member of the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints. He couldn't be happier, and nor could I. His family now has a goal to be sealed as an eternal family in the temple.

Best friends forever

It was amazing to see Cash again this week. We ran into him on the temple grounds and he didn't leave us for the rest of the day attending both our lessons and the baptism that evening. He's a true friend. 

We met my new favorite investigator after church yesterday. She's 7 and her name translates to "light unicorn." I've never met a child so mature and firm on their faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ. We asked at one point if her grandma loved her. She responded with a confident yes. Upon asking how she knew, she told us it was because her grandma tells her to repent. Wow! She's super prepared and super excited to prepare for baptism. Now I know what Jesus meant when he said to become like a little child.

I've also been impressed lately as I've sought personal revelation. Under the direction of President Jergensen, I took a pressing question to the Lord in prayer. I opened the scriptures and found the answer I needed in seconds. The Spirit confirmed the truth of the answer received, and I was able to give President an answer. The Lord answers prayers. We need only ask.

I love you all! Have an outstanding week!

All is Well!

Elder Dickson

Week 20 in Xizhi

Playing a fun game called Wink ;)

Short hair cuts

We've been keeping busy. I'll liken the work to a tree. For the better part of my mission that tree has been planted firmly in a desert place. We've stretched our roots out far and wide exerting every effort to find those prepared to hear the word and come unto Christ. We've always been blessed to find those prepared, but there was certainly never a great abundance. Lately, our tree seems to have found its way into a lake of sorts. It's simply not possible to soak up all the opportunities afforded us. We're just doing well not to drown. We're doing well to balance our 27 current investigators. Amazing to me is that the quality of these investigators is incredibly high! Many have real desires to learn the gospel and follow the Savior.

I was grateful for General Conference and the messages delivered. Personal revelation has been increasingly important to my companion and I in recent times. If you haven't seen it yet, it's not too late. Watch it now at lds.org. If you have seen it, watch or listen to the messages again. I guarantee you'll find something in the messages from these living prophets that will help you in your current situation. Choose blessings :)

I've had some migraines lately, and to be honest I don't feel I've totally recovered from the last one. I feel a little cloudy in the head and have just felt slower. Our dear investigator Lyle took me to the hospital and they'll run some tests in early May. It's likely just the result of my sinuses acting up, but it doesn't hurt to check.

Got a letter from my sister, Emilie: (She drew my family on the roof of our house welcoming me home.)

Jilong for District Training Meeting

We moved to a different apartment since ours was sold.

Speaking of Lyle, his baptism is this Saturday. He's as prepared as they get. We met him roughly a month ago when his 8 year old daughter brought him to church for the first time, and he's been asking us to let him get in the baptism font ever since. He's a good man and an even better friend.

Today was temple day. It was good to feel the peace found only in the House of the Lord. I have faith in the future. Next time I go to the temple I'll be preparing to return home.

All is well!
Elder Dickson

Week 19 in Xizhi

Transfers came and I stayed in Xizhi to finish training. I had an ocular migraine on P-day so wasn't I able to email much this week but I will write more next week.

With family away from family

I got permission to find a sec to write and say all is well. I'll be brief as there's much to be done now even at 10pm. There's too much to really try to summarize between: transfers, General Conference, and zone conference. I'm feeling well now, but boy are we busy. The sisters' area was closed leaving only Elder Fredenberg and I in Xizhi. We have a teaching pool of over 20 investigators with nearly 10 on date for baptism. A handful really appreciate Daily visits from us. Go go go! What's more, we are in the middle of moving into the sisters' old apartment. My companion and I also were moved in with an all elder district...always interesting.

From my English class

Our English class is bursting at the seams with roughly 10 new students each week. I was most definitely stressed at first thinking about taking on additional investigators, managing the English class with 1/2 the teachers, moving, and lovingly knocking some heads together as needed (and all of this while still training Elder Fredenberg). Anyway, 1 Nephi 3:7 has been coming up a lot...and it's true; God is preparing the way day by day.

All is well!

Elder Dickson

Week 18 in Xizhi

Lunch with Terry and his wife (Taoyuan friends) 

We've had a great day. We went to Linkou for lunch with a couple of close friends of mine. The company and the food were of the highest quality and it was a peaceful, refreshing time. We then booked it over to Tianmu for Ultimate with some other missionaries (always a good time).

Linkou Station

Taiwanese burial plots

Beautiful view of a park

Chen Meijia was baptized Sunday. She's a true convert. We were also glad to attend a baptism in Tianmu Saturday night. There were three individuals being baptized that day--one of the three being a young man I referred to the missionaries there late last year. Our dear friend and progressing investigator Lyle was so kind as to drive us there and back after making us a delicious dinner no less. He informed us afterwards of his desire to move up his own baptismal date. At the same baptismal service we were blessed to find a new investigator for our own area as well as a referral for the Xizhi sisters. The ice cream provided afterwards was a welcome bonus :) 

With Taoyuan friends

With former AP and friend 蕫長老

Jiang's baptism in Tianmu 

Lyle's masterpiece

Monday night, we had a lesson with an awesome investigator. Our member present, a recent convert himself, did an outstanding job of relating to and assisting our investigator in overcoming his concerns. I was overjoyed roughly 15 minutes later to run into the two of them on the street with sodas in hand and full-out grins filling their faces. They laughed and thought it funny to have run into us again and were off on their way just enjoy themselves and having a good chat. This is what investigators need: not a member present, but a friend. 

English Class on Baking

Plan of salvation for children

I am sometimes saddened to look back and realize how much of my mission lies behind me and how little seems to be left. However, I was thinking the other day and came to the realization if my mission was a pizza, I'd still have a full slice to enjoy. I can assure you I wouldn't mourn over the loss of the pizza in my stomach. I'd be quite satisfied with it actually, but I am equally certain I wouldn't hesitate to down that last slice with pleasure. I'm grateful for the miracle and the blessing of a mission. It's been the best two years, and I intend to savor every moment down to the last bite ;P

At Fireside

With Kenneth

I'm grateful for living prophets. Though we have yet to see General Conference ourselves, I've been impressed by the revelations I've heard about and know the living Savior stands at the head of this His living church: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I invite you to come closer unto Christ today. I've found great peace in Him and His teachings. You can too. Please watch The Prince of Peace

I know He lives! 

Happy Easter! 

All is well, 

Elder Dickson